A decade of chart dominance has delivered a historic payoff for Nigerian superstar Wizkid, who has officially become the first African artiste to surpass 10 billion streams on Spotify, cementing his status as the continent’s most-streamed act on the platform. The milestone, confirmed as of January 2026, places the Afrobeats icon ahead of heavyweights including Burna Boy, Rema, Tems and Tyla, and underscores the unstoppable global rise of African music.
Born Ayodeji Balogun, Wizkid now leads Africa’s Spotify streaming charts, with Burna Boy following on more than 9.5 billion streams, Rema at 5.6 billion, Tems crossing 4.4 billion, South Africa’s Tyla on 3.7 billion and Ayra Starr close behind with 3.3 billion. His streaming surge has been fuelled by a string of international hits, led by Drake’s ‘One Dance’, which alone accounts for nearly 4 billion streams, and the culture-shifting anthem ‘Essence’ featuring Tems, which has amassed over 333 million streams as his most-played song as a lead artiste.
Wizkid’s critically acclaimed Made In Lagos Deluxe stands as his most-streamed project to date, having crossed the 1 billion streams mark and becoming a defining album in Afrobeats’ global crossover era. The project, widely praised for its sonic maturity and international appeal, played a major role in introducing Afrobeats to wider audiences across the U.S., U.K. and Europe.
The landmark achievement arrives as streaming continues to reshape the global music industry, with platforms like Spotify amplifying African talent on an unprecedented scale. As Wizkid sets new benchmarks for the continent, his record-breaking run signals not just personal success, but a powerful statement about Afrobeats’ place at the centre of global pop culture.
